Deadly. Met an older Nepalese guy in Japan who'd been working there as a raft guide for years, goes back to Nepal every year to guide 'proper' rivers. Has set up loads of businesses helping people back home too. Really cool guy.

He also said that any adventure stuff you'd do in New Zealand, just do it in Nepal. It'll be even bigger and a fraction of the cost. Which i didn't know.

I just booked flights on skyscanner, you'd get them cheaper from Ireland than I got them from Vietnam (715 return, direct from Hanoi). Hanoi is expensive to fly from and I needed direct flights cos only had x days off work.

Internal flights are v. cheap (I got Tokyo to Sapporo return for 80 euro) but it sounds like a JR train pass is the way to go if you're travelling to a couple of places outside of Tokyo (but it's expensive and you need to book it before you get to Japan).

In Kathmandu now.....had two days here. Saw some class temples, but it's an absolutely mental city. Traffic is total mayhem, just pedestrians, cars, motorcycles and cows sharing the road (no pavements, road signs, traffic lights, etc). Loads of damage still around from the earthquake as well.

Also, it's by far the most polluted city I've ever been in. Far, far worse than any of the big Chinese cities I've been to (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, etc). Causing me some breathing problems, glad we're leaving in the morning to go to a place called Pokhara. Camping, hiking, whitewater rafting, canyoning and ziplining there.